The health care provider (HCP) remarks that the staff nurse has a great body and that it would be worthwhile for them to have sex. The staff nurse does not want a relationship with the HCP and finds the remarks offensive. What action should the receiving nurse take initially?

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Sexual harassment, including soliciting sexual favors in exchange for favorable job benefits, is prohibited. Other behaviors that could be defined as sexual harassment include asking someone for a date after the other person expressed disinterest or making remarks about a person's gender or body. The receiving nurse should first immediately and clearly indicate that the attention is unwanted and the offending HCP should stop. The offending HCP may have erroneously perceived a mutual attraction. If that is not effective, additional action should be taken. The American Nurses Association cites 4 tactics to fight workplace sexual harassment: confront, report, document, and support. (Option A) The incident should be reported, especially if the offending HCP does not stop. If the harasser is the immediate supervisor, the receiving nurse should go up the chain of command. However, the nurse should first simply tell the offending HCP to stop and see if that resolves the issue. (Option C) The nurse should respond with assertiveness, not avoidance. Ignoring the situation may imply that the nurse does not mind the HCP's attention. (Option D) The receiving nurse should document what occurred and how the nurse responded. The presence of witnesses should be documented. Documentation should be stored somewhere other than the workplace. However, the nurse should initially communicate assertively that the actions are to stop before documenting them. Educational objective: A nurse who receives unwanted sexual advances in the workplace should first immediately and clearly indicate that the advances are unwanted and that the offending person should stop.

The Health Care Provider (HCP) Remarks That the Staff Nurse